Vineyard woman shines as Rosalind in 'As You Like It'

Friday

Apr 18, 2014 at 5:38 PMApr 18, 2014 at 5:38 PM

Alexander StevensWicked Local Arts correspondent

If you could choose any Shakespearean character to be your friend, you might be wise to take Rosalind, the star of “As You Like It.” Well, I suppose that if you have a taste for ale, wenches and fart jokes, then Falstaff is your man. But if you want a true friend who’s smart, loyal and resourceful, then go with Rosalind.“Rosalind would make a great friend,” says Brooke Hardman. “She’d be one of those friends who might not always make the right call, but it would always be a fun time. You’d laugh, and you could always be your whole self, without censorship. And you’d have adventures. It would never be boring. With Rosalind as your friend, you’d never sit at home on a Saturday night watching Netflix.”Hardman should know. She’s getting quite familiar with Rosalind as she rehearses the role in Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s “As You Like It,” running April 17 to May 18 at the Springstep Building in Medford.When people make the case that Shakespeare had a way with writing women, they often point first to Rosalind. She’s a fully realized character – honest, unpretentious, witty, courageous and, by the end of the play, wise beyond her years about the nuances of love. And she is the reason why “As You Like It” is widely regarded as one of Shakespeare’s three greatest comedies.“It’s a brilliantly written role,” says Hardman. “It has such depth and humor and heart. And Rosalind has such a special and wonderfully honest relationship with Celia. The two of them would truly do anything for each other. They’re a great support system for each other in [the Forest of] Arden.”And they need it. Rosalind falls hard in love with Orlando, but family problems send him fleeing to the Forest of Arden. When Rosalind and Celia are banished, they find Orlando in the woods, where he’s pining for Rosalind. Disguised as a man, Rosalind begins teaching Orlando lessons in love.“It’s fun, it’s a pastoral,” says Hardman. “It’s a romp in the woods.”And that’s just what the actress needed. She was coming off a string of darker roles, including Desdemona in “Othello” and Cressida in “Troilus and Cressida.” Actors’ Shakespeare Project, where Hardman is a company member, is true to its name – it’s actor-centric. Hardman says the process of casting shows is very open at ASP, and decisions are made in a way that allows actors to build resumes and develop careers. Hardman expressed that she yearned for something lighter, and now she’s preparing to play one of Shakespeare’s most memorable women.“It’s tough to keep up with Rosalind,” declares Hardman. “I felt like I was just panting and sweating during those first few rehearsals. I felt like she was always running on stage, delivering lines and running off. She’s very quick, both physically and mentally. I’ve been surprised at just how fast her mind works.”Perhaps Hardman is aided by the fact that she lives in her own little Arden. Her home is on Martha’s Vineyard with her husband and young daughter. Hardman assumed that when she moved there, she was saying goodbye to the acting career that had brought her to some of the most notable stages, including the Williamstown Theatre Festival and Steppenwolf in Chicago. But through a curious set of circumstances, the move to the Vineyard eventually helped her fulfill a career goal – joining a resident Shakespeare company, specifically, Actors’ Shakespeare Project.“It was a life lesson in how letting something go often means it will come back to you,” she says.She’s been hanging on to Shakespeare and theater since she was about 10. Growing up in North Adams, Hardman was within the gravitational pull of Shakespeare star Tina Packer, founder of Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires. Packer staged a production of “King Lear” with the fourth graders at Hardman’s school. Hardman was cast as one of Lear’s daughters, and she was hooked.“I blame it on Tina,” she says, describing her interest in Shakespeare. “It’s all her fault.”It’s not lost on Hardman that the Vineyard has a little bit of Arden in it. Locals might have spotted Hardman wandering the paths of the island, memorizing the lines of one of Shakespeare’s great roles. And while Hardman acknowledges that there are challenges to living on the island, she admits that a moment like that is about as perfect at it sounds. But she’s off the island now, deep into rehearsals, and realizing that while good actors come ready to dig in, it’s sometimes better to relax.“It’s an actor’s impulse to work hard, to help tell the story,” says Hardman. “But it’s been nice, with this play and this role, to get to a place where you realize that the text does all the work because it’s such a beautifully written play. You don’t have to work hard to tell the story. You just have to let it be the beautiful play that it is.”Actors’ Shakespeare Project presents “As You Like It,” April 17 to May 18, at the Springstep Building, in Medford. Tickets: $28 to $50. Call: 866-811-4111.